


The Twilight Thief

by CharmyWizard



Series: Charmy’s Fantasy Stories [7]
Category: Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Cartoon 2018), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - All Media Types
Genre: AU, Adopted, Adopted Father, Adopted Son, Brothers, Captured, Fantasy, Found Family, Hurt/Comfort, mud dogs, thieves with honor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-16
Updated: 2020-07-16
Packaged: 2021-03-05 01:49:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,196
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25316344
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CharmyWizard/pseuds/CharmyWizard
Summary: While trying to find a item Leonardo has lost, he and Donatello are captured by Don’s old gang/family the Mud Dogs. Not only are there a lot of hurt feelings, it doesn’t help that Big Mama is still looking for her lost ‘son’
Relationships: Dastardly Danny & Donatello (TMNT), Donatello & Leonardo (TMNT), Donatello & Loathsome Leonard (TMNT), Donatello & Malicious Mickey & Loathsome Leonard & Dastardly Danny (TMNT), Malicious Mickey & Donatello (TMNT), NO TCEST - Relationship
Series: Charmy’s Fantasy Stories [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1897126
Comments: 18
Kudos: 125
Collections: The Messenger The Hunter The Prince and The Thief





	The Twilight Thief

**Author's Note:**

> This is based on a collaborateive AU my friends and i are working on @tiramisu-art @fraymotiif @painted-arachnid @unichurro @rolanslide and @fraiserverse from twitter who also made the nice little art at the end that broke my heart! And special thanks to @jadethest0ne for betaing my stories! Now with less typos!

“You know this is all your fault, don’t you?!”  
  


Donatello could already feel his headache become in a full-on migraine as he sighed, peering closer at the grass he was knelt down in. Then again it was really hard not to laugh at Leonardo’s puffed up angry face, resembling a child about to have a tantrum, “And remind me how that is again, I ask with bated breath.” Donatello asked with an eye roll (and bated breath)

“You were the one walking too slow, if you didn’t walk like an old woman then we would have caught up to the others and avoided this whole.” Leonardo gestured with his head from his perch on an overturned log, one hand he held a mirror and the other he was poking at his skin, “Fibble Wobble!”

“The only reason we went back in the first place, you spoiled doll, is that we had to go back for your fifth favorite birthday ring.”

Leonardo turned his beak up and his head away in disgust, “I don’t expect street trash like you to understand the importance of a ‘please leave big mummy alone she’s trying to eat her cupcake in peace’ ring she gave me when-“

Donatello rolled his eyes, though regretted doing so only because now he rolled his eyes so often, they had started to hurt. That and the fact he had spent the last hour kneeling in the grass squinting, “When she wanted you to leave her alone. I get it. If you really want your ring back you should be helping me look.” He rolled his eyes,

“For the last time these clothes cost more then you’ll ever steal in three lifetimes, with a flourish he snaps a fan out of nowhere and starts fanning himself as though complaining is enough to work himself into a sweat.

“Well maybe when I find it, I'll just keep it,” Don has to keep a straight face when Leo makes a loud offended squawk snapping his face shut, “You wouldn’t dare.”

“As you so like to remind me, I could live like a king for the rest of my life on your pinky ring alone,” he makes a point to look directly as the large amethyst gem Leo has on his pinky who then holds it to his chest protectively, “You know what fine.” Leonardo snapped his fan shut and held his bejeweled fingers away from his body, flexing his fingers as gold began to spark from his fingertips. The grass began to shift around as though a breeze had suddenly come through. There was a spark in the roots of the nearest tree as the ring suddenly appeared back on Leo’s hand. The wannabe prince admired it on his hand for a moment before he finally noticed Don glaring at him, “What? Its a simple spell if you had any ounce of magic talent you could have done the spell yourself.”

“Whatever.” Don strictly ignored the fact that Leonardo could have done that spell at any point to get his ring back, “Let’s get out of here and catch up to the others”

“Yeah if we leave now, we can catch up to them by next spring. Or would you rather I gave you a piggy back ride to spare you poor whittle leggy weggy?”

Donatello exhaled a heated breath from between his teeth. He had learned early on that Leonardo had a habit of picking up settle weaknesses of those around them, so it shouldn’t surprise him too much that Leonardo had seen him limping and immediately zeroed in on it. But before he could say anything something caught him from behind, Don’s instincts kicked in as he slammed his head back and bashed it against his attacker’s face causing a familiar voice to shout in pain. “Oh frick.” He twisted and threw the form of Danny across the former campsite, Leo barely had time to shriek before diving out the way. The prince had raised his hand, probably to do a magic spell when a rope shot out of the darkness and caught him around the arms, dragging him back into the darkness with a shriek

“Leo!” Don shouted, already stepping out of the way as Danny threw a kick at him. His shell hit something solid but before he could discern what it was, a pair of long arms wrapped around him, trapping his arms against his sides. Panic immediately over took him as he summoned his levitation. He bent his knees and only got a few inches in the air before Danny was back to them grabbing him by the shoulders and grounding his feet back to the ground. “Get his arms!’” Said another familiar voice from behind him, “Get the weighted rope.”

“On it!” Danny had already unfurled some silver rope from his bag and started wrapping it around Don’s wrists before wrapping more rope around his torso to keep his biceps trapped. It was then Donnie realized in horror they were using weighted rope, a perfect counterbalance to his levitation. When Danny moved to tie his ankles, Donnie brought his legs up and kicked Danny hard in the chest with enough momentum to slam the person still holding him against the tree hoping the force of his movement would be enough to free himself. But the arms around him tightened, “Nice try I know all your moves.”

Danny stood up, wiping his bloody nose on his sleeve, “Damn kid, we don’t need to tie his legs Lenny he’s trapped.”

Lenny scoffed from his spot, “You kidding? I trained this kid, if we get him even a little bit of wiggle room, he’ll be out of here faster than an oiled worm-pig.” Unfortunately, Leonard was right, which is even more annoying. Don growled angrily before squirming around to vent his frustrations. Between the two captors, they were able to tie his ankles and knees together and strip him of his magic gear before Leonard finally released his grip on him. Letting the Twilight Thief fall to the ground, as soon as he did Don shifted up to a sitting position in time to see Mickey coming out of the trees, dragging a squirming Leonardo with him, “Hey Donnie!” Mickey said waving at him.

Don rolled his eyes, “Hey Mickey.” As the electric eel dropped Leonardo off by his side. The prince squirmed around to a sitting position, “What in the high noon is going on here?!” Leonardo demanded.

Leonard gave the Prince a weird look, “Ok so we knew Doniel was going to be here but who the hell is that?”

“That’s Big Mama’s newest son. She’s got a nice big reward out on him.’ Danny informed, “We got his wanted poster remember? The one of him as a mermaid?’

Doniel gave Leo a weirded out look, “A mermaid?”

“It was based on my half-birthday oil painting I had done. My viewers loved it.” Leonardo said with no regret, “Never mind that how do you know these- these-” Leonardo shook his head around dramatically, “thugs?”  
  


Leonard gave him his sharp grin, “Aw, my kid never told you about us? We is the Mud Dogz , your little friend here is a member-“

“ _Was_ a member,” Don corrected

“-then he had the nerve to steal our loot and run away.”

“Only because you sold your souls to Big Mama,” Don bit at him.

Leonard tsked tiredly, paying little to no attention to the purple thief tied up before him glaring at him with enough heat to set dry grass on fire, “I’m disappointed in you Baby Dee. Here you were a little kid with nothing but screams and an empty stomach and who took you in? Who shared his food? Who raised you, taught you everything you know?” He leans forward, pulling him forward by the front of his robe with a grin,” I guess I gotta teach you some manner eh-“

“Len.” Mickey squirmed forward, touching his shoulder with a gentle tentacle, “You promised.” Len glared at the electric eel out of the corner of his eye before making a small growl under his breath, “I’m not going to hurt him Mickey I already told you that.” Before releasing Don’s front, the sudden lack of balance sending him falling back against Leonardo, the two ending up in a tied up pile, “We don’t have enough teleportation powder for all of us but we’z can’t stay here we’z gotta get going.” He pointed at Danny, “You get the fancy one.” He grabbed Donnie by the waist and despite his best squirming was thrown over his shoulder. Even though his vision was obscured he could hear Leo squeak as Danny did the same with him.

With his vision obscured by Leonard unwashed brown coat, Donnie wasn’t sure how long they had walked. Long enough for his shoulder to drive a pain into Don’s stomach. But after what felt like an eternity Len stopped, “We’ll camp here for tonight.”

“Good let me down. I’m choking on your cheap ass cologne.”

“Hey.” Len snapped, smacking him on the shell, “You gave me this cologne you brat.”

“I thought it would be enough to distract people from your greasy hair.” Ok so at this point Don was just trying to piss Len enough for him to make a mistake. But of course, the green creature probably knew that. After a few steps Don he felt Leonard descent down some stairs before lifting him off. It was only then Don could see they were in some sort of rundown basement covered in dust that had been ransacked ages ago. Probably belonged to an abandoned farmhouse, Len always had a gift for finding good hiding places. Don was dropped back on the hard wooden floor by Leonardo, Len pointed at Mickey, “You keep an eye on them, me and Dan are going to get some firewood. Don’t untie either of them. I don’t care what he says.” He pointed at Mickey warningly before he and Danny climbed back up the decrepit stairs. As soon as they were out of sight Mickey slithered around behind Don who sighed, “Mickey don’t, I don’t want you to get in trouble with Len.” He felt Mickey sigh behind him and felt his heart ache for the electric eel. He had always felt Mickey was too soft to be cruel to anyone, if he hadn’t enjoyed stealing so much, he’d probably be the only one of them who could lead a normal life. But then Mickey squirmed around till he was laying on his side, “Here at least you don’t have to lay on the ground.”

Don sighed again before shifting around, resting his head against Mickey’s form. He could hear Leo shifting around doing the same, “Thank you.” Don said. Instantly taken back to his childhood, when they’d be out traveling to a new heist location. Even though Don had been too young to join in they didn’t want to leave him at home alone and they’d usually end up sleeping in some abandoned building or on the road. Then Mickey would let Donnie sleep against him to spare him from the hard ground

“He was really worried about you, you know. "Mickey started, “He didn’t say it, but I could tell.”

“Really? Did he stop counting his payments from Big Mama? Did he stop brushing his hair?” He said with an eye roll

“No but he stopped eating.” The sadness in his voice was enough to made Don feel guilty, “When we’d eat dinner, he’d just stare at his food, he paces around at night, talk to his contacts trying to find out where you were. That’s why we hired the messenger to find you.”

“He.” Don paused, “He’s actually my brother.”

“Really? The orange kid? Didn’t look much like you.” Mickey gestured to the prince with a flipper, “He looks more like you then the orange kid did.”

“Don’t remind me.” Don couldn’t help but pout as Mickey chuckled. Despite himself he rested his cheek against Mickey’s, giving him a half attempted nuzzle, the best affection he could give him while tied up, “I missed you Uncle Mickey.” He can feel Mickey beam as he leans his head down hugging him, “I missed you too Baby Dee.”

“Ok so-“ Leo squirmed around, ”Why do they keep calling you that?”

“Oh well!” Even though Donnie groans loudly Mickey beams brightly, “When Lenny took in Donnie it was really confusing having a Donnie and a Danny around so we just started calling him Baby Dee and Danny Big Dee. Doniel Rebel Lenard.”

“Pretentious ass hat named me after himself.” Donnie grumbled, “April didn’t stop laughing for weeks.”

It was a few minutes later when the other two Mud Dogz returned from collecting firewood. Len didn’t say anything about Mickey letting the two turtles use him as a pillow but rolled his eyes to show his disapproval. He pulled an egg out of his pocket and cracked it over the bundle of sticks they had gathered. Mushrooms bloomed over the wood before settling into a softly blue flame that wafted towards the ceiling. It was only then Don noticed that Danny had started going through his gear, “Hey that’s mine!”

“Yeah and you stole from us, so consider this a down payment on what you owe us.” Danny dug through, putting aside the small loafs of bread and beef jerky, “Shadow cloak, nice probably made it yourself.” He tossed Don’s cloak to the side, “Light gloves, might fetch a nice price,” he took up Leonardo’s rapier, “Now this will fetch a pretty penny.”

“Hey!” Leonardo squirmed around to an upright position, “that was a gift from Big Mummy on my 1/12th birthday.”

“One twelfth?” Danny asked raising his eyebrow.

“Well, we celebrate my birthday every month. Like normal people.’ The prince blinked his eyelinered eyes and looked around the room, “You people don’t do that?”

“No, you spoiled feather,” Don rolled his eyes, “we don’t do that.”

Leonardo let out a huff, “The delicacy and importance of a monthly birthday are the pinnacles of society. I shouldn’t be surprised their value should be overlooked by a lame leg like-“ his sentence was cut abruptly when a knife appeared by his leg, Leonard glared at him, “Finish that thought. I dare you.”

“Um, nope I’m good totally great I’ll be quiet.” Leonardo quickly cuddled back against Mickey as though hoping he could get some protection from him as well. Danny pulled out a dark purple notebook wrapped in torn cloth, its binding had been painstakingly sewed back together and several places on the cover had been repaired, but he regarded it with an almost soft eye, one that made the pain in Don’s stomach return. “Fill this up yet?” Danny asked without looking at him.

“A few times over.” Don muttered lightly, unable to keep from feeling embarrassed, “I replace the paper inside every time I do. But I wouldn’t keep going through my stuff, I booby trapped most of it.”

“Noted.” But Despite his rough voice, Danny took care placing the notebook back inside, only then does Don finally ask, “Ok so when are you all meeting Big Mama?”

Len looked over to him, “What are you talking about?”

“That’s why you captured me right? For the reward money? Or are you just doing a favor for your boss.”

“She ain’t our boss.”

“Please.” Don made a show of rolling his eyes, taking no small joy in hearing Len growlat him (he always hated it when Donnie rolled his eyes, “You know what!?” Len was on his feet and back to him, grabbing him by the front before Mickey could say anything, lifting him entirely off his feet so he was glaring into burning black eyes, “You have some nerve talking to us like a that. You stole from us you ungrateful brat. I raised you, took care of you when you were sick, never laid a hand on you, trained you taught you everything I know, went hungry to make sure you didn't and this is the thanks I get?! You have the balls to steal from me and act like you’re all high and mighty?!”

“What about you!?” Don demanded, as a kid he might have wilted under such a glare, but that was something else Len had taught him, “You always told me that the Mud Dogz never hurt innocent people. I saw what you did to that man behind the inn. I saw what Big Mama told you to do.”

Len blinks, it's enough to take away some of the anger in his eyes and replace it with a blink of surprise, “How did you-“

“I saw what you did. I know Big Mama put you on her pay roll and I know what you’ve been doing.” At this point Don can feel his eyes start to burn his stomach burning in months of resentment and anger. Trying to ignore the dust that’s started to slide around the floor reacting to his emotions, “You lied to me-“

“No I tried to protect you-“

“Say what you want to make yourself feel better. You always told me that the Mud Dogz had a code to them, an honor. The day you told me I was an official Mud Dog I was.” He blinks hard to keep his eyes from overflowing, “I was so proud. But you betrayed all of that just for more money. Just like you’re handing me over to that eight-legged bitch-“

“I’m not.” Len huffed angrily, “I’m not given you to Big Mama. I’m hiding you.”

Now its Dons turn to blink in surprise, “You’re what?”

“You’ve attracted too much attention to yourself Baby Dee.” Looks away from him almost as though he’s in shame, “She asked us to find you yeah. But I told her you were impossible to find. The plan was to hide you somewhere she couldn’t find you. Hopefully if we give her this, fru-fru.” He nods towards Leonardo whose watching this whole thing with an unreadable expression, “she’ll forget about you eventually.”

“ _Now isn’t that interesting._ ”

Terror fills Don’s stomach as a familiar flowery voice fills the basement, as though it’s an ice-cold vacuum stealing everyone’s voice and movement. There is only the ‘click’ of heels as a familiar form descends the stairs. Dressed to the nines in silk and diamonds, Big Mama’s eyes seem to shine in the dark basement like the beacon of death. Before they fall on Leonardo, she interlaces her fingers together and holds them to her cheek in a childlike glee, “Ow my Snuggo babo your Mama has missed you so much!”

“Of course you missed me, most can’t live without my sparkling personality Big Mummy.” Even though his voice is as sassy and calm as always, out of the corner of his eyes Donnie can see Leonardo, his skin had gone so pale his red stripes almost looked like blood, he might not have even noticed his trembling if Don couldn’t see the beads of sweat on Leo’s brow shaking like a leaf in the wind. He almost jumps when Len sets him on his feet and shifts his chest around as though trying to block him from view when Big Mama looks to him with her girlish grin, “I can not thank you fine gentleman enough for bringing back my naughty waughty son to me. He worried his poor Mummy so much I‘ll be sure to discipline him when we get home.”

“Take him.” Len says before Don can say anything. Yeah, Leonardo was an ass but no one deserved to be at Big Mama’s mercy, “you can have him, you can even keep the reward. Consider it a gift for the best lady I know.”

Big Mama clapped her hands together gleefully, “Splendeferous!!! How wonderful Lenny Wenny you’re just as charitable as you are handsome!” Before she dropped her chin, allowing her perfectly groomed hair to cover her left eye as she bore down on him, “And of course, I’ll be taking the thief as well.”

“I-“ it's not often that Don sees Len afraid of anything, but it's enough to shake the proverbial ground he walks on. Ever so slightly he shifts again to stand more in front of him, “Look he’s a member of the Mud Dogz ok? I’m his old man, I’ll make sure you’re reimbursed for everything he stole then some. I’ll make sure he’s punished.”

“Now see, that’s not what you said a moment ago my silly willy.” Big Mama touched her manicured figure to her chin, tilting her head as though confused, “What was it now? You were going to hide him from me? Until I forgot about him? Was that right? Now that is a funny statement considering I never forget,” she peered at Len from between her strand of hair, her eye now black, “And I never forgive.” She snaps her finger. For the second time that day a pair of hands grab him from behind, yanking him back, Len spins around trying to grab him, “NO-“ before he’s grabbed from behind as well, slammed forward as a black clothed figure with a demon mask pins him to the ground. Don can see the same treatment is being given to the others as well and he’s the only one left on his feet before Big Mama points a clawed finger at him, “Bring him closer.”

He can't see who grabbed him but he's shoved forward onto his knees. Immediately he looks to the ground in front of him, even as Big Mama steps closer, “So this is the Twilight Thief. I’ll tell you little boy you have caused me quite the fizzie winkle. It's one thing to steal from your betters, that’s just good business. But when you steal from Big Mama, well, there's a price to pay.”

“Mother leave him alone! Please!” Leonardo begs, Don can hear him try to get up before he’s slammed back on the floor with a shout of pain.

“Now now, sonny wonny, I’ll give you attention I promise, but right now Mummy has business to do.” He can tell Big Mama is studying him, but he refuses to look up at her until a pointed clawed finger finds its way under her chin and forces it up. For the first time in years he meets the eyes of the woman who threw him out on the streets. She tilts her head to the side, “Do I know you?” She asks, tilting her head to the side, “I am so bad with names sometimes.” A part of Don is relieved that Big Mama doesn’t’ recognize him. But without breaking eye contact she tilts her head in the direction of one of her guards, “Benny Boozle? What did he have on him? Anything important?”

“Just some magic gear and a magic-less hooked staff with a crystal on it.”

“Oh? Bring it over.” Big Mama holds her hand out. Don squirms when its place in her hands, she looks over it with a studious, if bored eye till it falls on the tiny crystal hanging from the curved tip. Then her eyes fill with something similar to recognition, “OH, so it's you.” Her eyes meet his again, “Snuggle baby 23, my last son before Snuggyboo. So you didn’t starve to death on the streets? Shame, would have been a more merciful death.”

“If it had meant avoiding seeing you again, I would have welcomed it.” Don bit out. He expects painful retribution but instead Big Mama giggles wildly, “Now see that’s’ what I liked about you at first, that fire that spark. Unfortunately, when you found all my books, I realized you for what you really were.” She sighed, “Talentless, boring. No fun. I don’t thing I had ever met a being that mattered less. Yet.” She picks off the purple crystal off the end of his staff, holding it on the palm of her hand under his nose, “You held on to this, did it make you feel special when I gave it to you? Like you somehow mattered to me? Let me offer you some peace of mind little boy, this is how much you mattered to me.” With that she closed her palm, Don squirms until he hears something crack, and when she opens her palm again revealing the broken remains of a glass crystal, he falls still.” He doesn’t notice when she dusts off her palms and bounces back to her feet, talking to her he henchmen . Probably telling them to start moving, that they had a long way to go to get back home. And again, he can hear the Mud Dogz fighting against their captors. As anyone would when faced with a painful end.

But Don can only stare at where Big Mama had brushed off the remains of his crystal. As though hopelessly willing it to reform. To give him back the one that had given him hope that Big Mama hadn’t just thrown him out without nothing to survive on.

But.

Like that crystal.

He was nothing to her.

To anyone.

The anger starts in his stomach, and the dust starts sliding across the floor so quietly no one notices. Not till the empty boxes start to lift off the ground. Not until the ropes tying Donnie suddenly frayed and tore away.

Then everything breaks loose.

Everything in the room starts to float around them. The guards, seeming to understand that he was the cause of this, lunged at him. But Don turned to them with eyes now Dark purple with white flecks and turns his palms to them, the men flying hard into the wall in a painful heap before floating around the room. Energy rushes through Don’s mind, robbing all logic and sense of person. The walls around them start to crack from the pressure. He doesn’t hear anyone yelling, doesn’t hear their scream, doesn't hear the roof start to crack as it’s forced off the building and shot into the sky, or the stairs flatten against the wall like a child stepping on a blade of grass. He doesn’t notice he’s been screaming this whole time, holding the sides of his head as the world around him, robbed of gravity and logic, began to shoot around him.

Until a pair of hands grab his shoulders. Bringing his attention to Leonard’s face, “Kid calm down.” He begged, ‘take a deep breath, its ok.”  
  


“It's NOT ok!” Don shouts in a voiced that no longer sounds like his own, walls of the room caved outwards to the ground, he’s only vaguely aware that Danny and Mickey are with Leonardo, trying to untie his bounds without any gravity. Before he loses sight of them altogether as he floats higher into the air and out of the basement.

“You know what? You're right” Len says, struggling to keep the emotion from his voice, “It’s not ok. We live in an awful shitty world where if feels like some horrible god is dedicated to making us suffer. But you're not a bad person kid. You’re not. You don’t hurt people. I didn’t’ want you to know about having to work for Big Mama because I wanted to protect you. That’s what a parent does they protect their kid.” The trees around them start to groaned and crack, pulling upward against their roots as the air fills with rocks and panicking animals. But Leonard's face lacked any fear that any normal person would hold, but instead only nea concerned look that only a parent could have, “You’re my kid Dee. I’m sorry I wasn’t a better Dad to you. But we’re your family, and we love you. I love you.”

The anger in Don’s stomach, formed by endless betrayals and full of more pain then any one person deserved, is replaced by an anguish that starts to leak from his eyes, floating away from his face with the rest of reality. He squeezes his eyes shut drying to keep the emotion from pouring out of him when he feels Len press a hand to the back of his head and press it to his shoulder. After that the damn in his heart breaks loose as he weeps uncontrollably. The torrent around them finally stops, allowing gravity and sense to return as everything finds a place on the ground, as though letting out a huge sigh of relief. When Don lands in the basement, all he can do is weep against the man who helped raise him, who gave him the glimmer of hope that he wasn’t just a nothing child that no one wanted.

That he was worth something.

Before he can give in completely to his pain, a soft clapping reaches him. He pulls away from Len to see Big Mama struggling to her feet, her once clean and well-kept form run rugged, dress torn and perfect hair in shambles, even her nails had been broken as though she had been clawing at walls trying to keep from flying away. But her eyes are filled with a wonder, “Simply, simply.” She starts with bated breath looking around at the devastation, “To think, I thought you were a talentless waste of space. But look at this, power.” It’s the only word she seems able to think of. And somehow that terrifies Don more than anything when she looks at him again with a gaze that can only be described as hunger, “Perhaps I thew you away too soon, my sweet baby boy.”

Even through his exhaustion, he can already feel fight and flight reflex raging against him desperate for him to do something to get away or fight. But before he can try to use his exhausted powers Len grabs him by the waist, “Mud Dogz go!” He shouts, Already Mickey and Danny are running past him. Len all but carries Don over to where a wind torn Leo is standing holding their gear in his hands as though he’s not sure what's going on, grabbing the prince by the front, “Listen here, you take care of my boy. If you don’t, I’m hunting you down.” Len growls, before Don can register what he’s staying, Len pulls out his small draw string bag of teleportation power, looking to Don and giving him what can only be described as a parent looking on their child one last time, “I’m proud of you son.” He said, before shoving Donnie hard in the chest against Leonardo and blowing the dust on them.

In his next breath, Don is in pouring rain, standing in the ruins of their former campsite flat where a few hours earlier he had been cursing the Mud Dogz, cursing his life and his predicament. But he’s already on his knees, ‘LEN NO!” He screams. About to rise up when he feels arms wrap around his chest from behind, dragging him back to the ground and trapping his scalp underneath a chin, “Donnie no-“ Leo begs, as Don thrashes around, “You can’t, we don’t know where they are-“

“NO, I HAVE TO!” he shouts. If he had been in a right mind and physical shape, he could have easily dislodged the prince and gone on his way. But suddenly the arms around him tighten, slamming his shell against Leo’s chest. He can feel the Princes’ forehead press against his scalp, the feeling of being trapped leaves, Leo’s not trying to hold him against his will, hugging him so tightly Don feels as though Leo’s trying to pull him into his chest, “WE. Can’t.” Leo whispers.

Don, knowing he was speaking the truth, lets out a pained scream before dropping his head down to his chest. A pained wave of grief coming over him as all he can do is sob helplessly, drowning in a world of water. He ignores Leo letting him go, or pulling him onto his back into a piggy back position, running into the torrential rain.

_(#)(#)\\(#)(#)_

_“Then the red king smiled at the dying prince’s dying body,” Mickey paused in his reading, looking down to the six year old turtle sitting on his lap and reading along with him, “Are you sure this book isn't’ too much for you? It's kinda scary, and not really well written.”_

_Don looks up at him with a pout, “Uncle Mickey!!”_

_“Ok, ok, but if you get nightmares Len’s going to kill me.” Mickey looks back to the pages of the book, “The prince could feel all the bones in his body break from the kings glare alone, his body asc-“ he pauses again. Don almost felt bad anytime Mickey wanted to ready him, out of all the Mud Dogs, he could read the best other than him but he still couldn't read very well. But he always smiled when Donnie asked him to read with him that he couldn’t help but ask, Donnie instead peered at the word, “Ascending.” He reads, “It means to rise or float up.”_

_“OH right.” Mickey wraps his flipper around him, hugging him close with a squishy cheek to his scalp, “Thanks buddy.”_

_(#)(#)\/(#)(#)_

_“Hey baby Dee!”_

_The aforementioned eight year old child glared up from writing on his scraps of paper on the floor, “I’m not a baby!’ He corrects his Uncle Danny for the fifth time that day. But the rat rolled his hand, “Ok whatever get over here I got you something.”_

_The child tilts his head before standing up, “Is this a trap? Is it vegetables again?” Crossing his arms_

_“No, you suspicious gecko.” Danny reached behind him, smirking slightly, “Alright close your eyes and hold your hands out.”_

_Donnie gave him another pout, it was going to be vegetables this time he just knew it, and did as he was told, he felt something leather being placed in his hands, and when he opened him he was welcomed with the sight of a purple book, “A book!?” He cheered, immediately flipping the pages open but looking crestfallen when he sees they’re blank. He looks to his Uncle for an explanation who just laughs his laugh, “It’s a notebook kid.” He kneels down, and taps the blank pages, “You gotta fill it yourself.”_

_“Why?”_

_“Because your big head is full of ideas you need somewhere to put them. Preferably not on my newspapers.” He said tapping Don on the forehead._

_Don can’t help but giggle slightly, yeah that always ticked off his purple uncle, he flips the pages again, this time imagining all the ideas he can put in there. No more stealing Uncle Danny’s papers, no more looking for scraps of paper in dumpsters, he actually had something to put all his ideas in! In his glee he wrapped his free arm around Danny’s neck, nearly sending him off balance, “Whoa kid hold up! We talked about physical contact!” But when he looks at Don’s face again, he groans loudly, “OK but this is your hug for the day.” He says before wrapping an arm around him, hugging him close._

_(#)(#)\/(#)(#)_

_Twelve year old Don suddenly lost his balance, falling hard off the log and bumping his head against the hard dirt and his bo staff at his side “Ow!” he shouted angrily, glaring up at the other combatant. Leonard stepped off the log with the grace Don lacked, “I told you to watch your left, you gotta work on your blind spot.”_

_“NO I don’t.“ He snapped. He smacked away the hand trying to help him up and sat away from him, arms crossed over his chest. He could feel the ground leaving him for a moment in a way it always did when he was angry. Leonard sighed behind him, “Kid get back here we’re not done training.”_

_“No, I hate training I hate fighting and I hate you.” He said re-crossing his arms. A hand grabbed the back of his hooded shirt, “Ok kid take a breath before you float away again,” Len said, “I’m not in the mood to chase you around all day with a fishing net.”_

_“NO.” He said again. This time the rocks by their feet began to hover near their heads. While most people, most parents, would normally freak out if they saw their child floating themselves and nearby objects, Len instead had the face of a parent who not only dealt with this bullshit on a daily basis but was rather bored with it, “Calm down or you’re grounded.”_  
  


_Donnie gave Lenard a heated look, as though daring him to deliver on his promise. But judging on that look in his eyes he was more than ready to go through on that threat today. Eyes burning with angry tears, Don took a deep meditative breath, and after a few seconds, he was back on the ground, “There happy?!” He demanded._

_“No, not till you get back up there and we try again.”_

_“I don’t want to. It's not fair Aprils Mom’s don’t make her train like this! She actually knows how to control her powers!”_

_“Your powers are too destructive to control right now, this is the best way for you to learn how to defend yourself without them.” This time Leonard grabs Don’s arm, not hard enough to hurt him. But Don yanks away anyway and stomps off a few feet, arms crossed over his chest. Behind him, he can hear the greasy haired man groan loudly, dragging a hand down his face and taking several deep breaths. Don couldn’t help but feel satisfied that he had gotten under skin. Until he heard Len walk over to him, and a grip form around his jaw, “HEY!” He shouted._

_“Hold still I want to make sure you didn’t bruise your big head” Len said, using his grip on Don’s jawline to guide his head again despite the child’s squirming. Before pulling away when Len released him, “Talk to me kid. You’re bottling up your emotions again. You always get floaty when you do that.”_

_“Do not.” Ok, so he wasn’t having the most intelligent argument at the moment, “You don’t know me.”_

_“I don’t know you?” Len almost sounds like he's’ trying not to either laugh or pull his precious hair out, “You’re kidding!? I know you get frustrated when something doesn’t come easy to you and it makes you want to give up. I know that big smart brain makes you think that everything should come easy to you. I know my kid-“_

_“I’m not your kid.” Don snaps. A moment later, he feels the weight of what he said. And since Len doesn’t respond immediately, he knows that’s the first thing he said that’s actually hurt him. When he feels a hand touch his shell and turn him around, he doesn’t pull away, but doesn’t look to the person now kneeling in front of him, “I’m sorry.” Len started, Don almost looked up at him since he wasn’t known for his apologies, “I pushed you too hard, and I didn’t think that you were getting tired. I know it frustrates you, that you think you’re letting me down by not being a good fighter. But I know you just don’t want to hurt people. I admire that about you, it means you’re a true Mud Dog.” Don looks at Lens face for a moment before looking away again. He feels Len’s thumb rub the dirt off his cheek from when he landed on the ground, “But this isn’t something you’re doing for me. You have to be able to defend yourself. I’d protect you forever if I could. But I might not be here forever.”_

_“Why?” Don asks finally looking him in the eye, “Are you leaving?”_

_“No course not kid, but the world is sucky on its best day. And you, and Uncle Mickey and Uncle Danny are one of the reasons I have to breath every day. So, I need you to try again ok? Just keep trying. If you keep trying then that means you ain’t a loss cause. Got it?”_

_Don nods weakly, feeling shame at his previous attitude and words, “I-I don’t hate you.” He says quietly, “Do you hate me?”_

_Len lets out a soft laugh, pulling Donnie into a hug, “Ain’t nothing you could do to make me hate you kid. I’ll love you till the day I die.”_

(#)(#)\/(#)(#)

It’s a few hours later when Leo finds them shelter in at the ruins of an old castle. He sets Don on an old remaining bed out of the rain, helping him out of his rain-soaked clothes and leaving him in some of Leo’s dry spare ones. Don normally would have been gleeful to wear such high-priced clothing but he doesn’t have the energy to care. When Leo returns again, he has another fire egg that he uses to start a fire, “Mikey should be able to find us here.” Leonardo starts, taking off his drenched coat and setting it by the fire, “He always does.” Donnie knows he’s just trying to start a conversation but he doesn’t have the emotional strength to pick it up. Leonardo must have sensed it; Don can feel him move around and sit on the edge of the bed. Like he can feel his hesitation before he starts rubbing his shell, “Ho-How are you feeling?”

Don can only shrug, and even poorly at that.

“I-“ Leo takes a shaky breath, “I mean it. We’ll save them ok?” But again, Don doesn’t answer. He doesn’t protest the shell rub, “I-I didn’t know you had that kind of power Doniel.” He tries again, “It was…”

“I don’t know how to control it.” Don finally speaks, “Len doesn’t have the same kind of powers that I do. The best we could ever do was learn to keep it under wraps.”  
  


“Th-that’s why you pretend not to feel anything?” Leo asks, “b-because you don’t want to hurt anyone.” Don nods, “I can try and help. I had a lot of magic tutors - I can try to help you control your powers.”

If he hadn’t been so tired he would of though Leo was being condescending, but now all he can offer is a weak shrug. He can feel Leo give off a soft, if pained sigh, ”Do-do you want me to leave you alone?”

On another day, Don would have rolled his eyes, and if he had been in a good mood, he would have mocked him for offering to help someone he had spent the last three months teasing. But Don slowly rises up to a sitting position before leaning forward resting his forehead against his brother’s shoulder as the grief overwhelms him again and all he can do is sob. Leonardo wraps him in a warm hug, so like the one he used to get from the men who raised him, offering empty comforts in his ear as he stroked the back of his head. But in the remains of a once mighty fortress, amongst the tears floating around them, Don can only grieve.

Don can only feel loss.


End file.
